According to new Windows 9 leaks and rumors, it seems we could be in for some dramatic changes by the time the first public preview of Windows 9 rolls around (probably on September 30). The most recent leaked builds of Windows 9 (codename Threshold) indicate that Microsoft will finally fix the awful upgrade process that has plagued Windows for almost two decades, replacing it with a one-click upgrade system. Perhaps more excitingly, another source says that Windows 9 will formally split the Metro and Desktop interfaces: Tablets will be restricted to Metro, while laptops and desktops will be locked to the standard Desktop interface. No longer will tablet users be forced to fumble around the legacy Desktop — and no longer will mouse-and-keyboard users be thrust unwittingly into various Metrotastic applets.
First up, the improved upgrade process, as reported by Neowin. The most recent builds of Windows 9 (which are labeled “Technical Preview”) include a one-click upgrade process for moving from one build to the next. The update is performed in much the same way as current patches: You open up Windows Update and then click a single button to upgrade your build of Windows. This is obviously a huge improvement over previous and current incarnations of the Windows update process, which have invariably had shockingly high failure rates. Sadly, I think almost everyone reading this story will have, at some point in their lives, spent hours or days trying to upgrade Windows. Hopefully, with Windows 9, those days are behind us.
What isn’t clear, however, is whether this will affect the upgrade process from Windows 8 to Windows 9 — or whether this is purely for upgrades after Windows 9 (9.1, 9.2, 10, etc.) I have a nagging feeling that the upgrade process to Windows 9 will still be pretty horrible — but hopefully it’ll be relatively painless forever after. This new upgrade process is a sure sign that Microsoft is serious about its move to a rapid-release cycle (which in turn is vital if it wants to compete against the Apple and Google competition).